On America's 250th, hedging on hope
A dispatch from Emilia and Abbey
The 2026 midterm elections are upon us, and as primary results trickle in, it’s clear that this year’s contests are about the old guard vs. the new, the status quo vs. the establishment.
That’s no surprise to us at The Up and Up – where we’ve been tracking young Americans’ distaste for business as usual for quite some time.
On the left, the success of progressive candidates in states such as New York and Colorado have many thinking the Democrats’ tea party-era is here — and that young people are leading the charge toward insurgent candidates (some of whom consider themselves Democratic socialists). That might be true. But to suddenly assume that the average young American is a socialist gets the story all wrong.
Here’s what people are missing.
Young people see a system that’s broken and want politicians who will fight it. It’s really that simple. Everyone freaked out when President Donald Trump gained support from young voters in 2024, assuming they were suddenly all Republican, and today, the same is being said about young voters and DSA candidates.
But it’s really not about political party, ideology, or a precise label.
It’s about the appeal and messaging of candidates who are looking to break from the past, who can inspire with a vision for a better future and a commitment to fight for you.
So far this summer, our focus groups have centered on a complete rebuke of both parties. Yes, New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani and his brand of politics may resonate. But not one person in our focus groups has said they’re a socialist. That matters.
As the cycle heats up, we’ll continue tracking how young voters are feeling, what their energy signals, and what traditional wisdom might be getting wrong. So stay tuned.
This summer, along with Emilia Kim, who you heard from last week, The Up and Up is lucky to have Abbey Locker on our team — a recent graduate of McGill University, where she studied psychology and cognitive science. For the next few months, Abbey will help shape our content and research. We’re grateful for her expertise.
Today, Abbey and Emilia have teamed up to unpack more on Gen Z’s complicated relationship with patriotism. Their readout is below.
This week, we, along with the rest of America, have spent a lot of time thinking about our nation’s history and culture. The people who built this country have already given us 250 years of innovation. From the Constitution to smartphones, the past 250 years have held progress that shapes how people all over the world live, work, and connect.
Yet, this year’s celebrations don’t read too differently than years past. Plans included lighting fireworks to watching the world cup, or deciding to leave town for the holiday. But surely this can’t be just like any other 4th of July.
America is turning 250 this weekend, and for keeping the same constitution, that’s actually quite a long time. So we asked our fellows, community members, and our friends for their point-of-view. Here’s some of what we heard.